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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26687626">Ascians Are Stupid</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thixotrofic/pseuds/Thixotrofic'>Thixotrofic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XIV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ableist Language, Ascians (Final Fantasy XIV), Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:00:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>813</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26687626</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thixotrofic/pseuds/Thixotrofic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alisaie is fed up.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ascians Are Stupid</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After Emet-Selch’s defeat, and a requisite period of recovery, a debriefing was called by the Crystal Exarch--G’raha Tia, for the Scions to reflect on their adventure. Since his injuries were particularly severe, G’raha left the honor to Alphinaud, who enthusiastically prepared a concise but comprehensive account of their story in the First.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...Finally, I think Emet-Selch’s words have given everybody a lot to consider,” he concluded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Alisaie’s doubting exclamation pierced through the solemn atmosphere in the Ocular. “I don’t know what you have to think over but I’ve made up my mind. Ascians are stupid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Y’Shtola grinned and Thancred grinned wider, audibly exhaling through his nose as he did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alphinaud was more incredulous. “You mean exploring Amaurot did nothing for you? Seeing how the levels of sophistication their civilization had reached, and so long ago?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Amaurotines were great. But the Ascians running around today have gone completely off the rails. First of all, if they’re so smart and advanced, how come there’s only like twenty of them left? Even though they’re immortal? And how come they have nothing better to do than bother us all the time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on Alisaie, you should understand their motivations by now. Emet-Selch explained it very clearly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She scoffed. “Somehow I think I liked the Ascians more before they explained themselves. Like, if you just want to be evil and cause chaos, fine, at least you’ll admit it and we’ll stop you. But that the Emet-Selch thinks he’s doing the right thing has me convinced that his brain is just malfunctioning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you’re appreciating the enormity of what he saw his people go through,” Alphinaud retorted. “How long he had to live with his regrets.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I actually thought about that really hard, for about five seconds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Urianger was stroking his chin with his shoulders slightly slanted, enjoying the unfolding debate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right. Just look at the inhabitants of The First. Hey!” Alisaie made an exaggerated look around the room. “We’re there right now! The Ascians are trying to destroy fourteen worlds to bring back the three quarters of their population who sacrificed themselves. I guess you can compare that to The First, where after losing ninety percent of their world, they launched a cross-dimensional crusade to restore their planet, creating millions of casualties.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She paused, looking off in the distance as if trying to remember something. “Oh, wait, that never happened! Only one hundred years later, the people here understand that they should honor those who were lost, but look forward to build a better world. What have Ascians built? One city that takes forever to get around, a million years ago, and one genocidal empire, now. Hey, if they’re so good at creation, why don’t they create themselves some therapists to teach them some strategies for coping with grief?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alphinaud felt his position slipping but made a conciliatory appeal. He could never convince Alisaie of anything when she was exasperated like this, and as usual in these cases he was starting to agree with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just think that we should try and understand our enemies, and try and see that on some level, we’re both fighting for something that’s important to us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know why you find it necessary to defend them. Is it because they had this supposedly civil, enlightened society? The Ascians today have nothing to do with that. It’s gone and they can’t accept it. Actually, don’t you find it funny how supposedly they had this society built on open discussion and public debate, and yet after a billion years, the best argument Emet-Selch can come up with to convince us is--” She held up her hand in front of her face and adopted a bizarre low-pitched voice that sounded nothing like anybody. “You’re unworthy so die for your superiors.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lowered her hand and continued. “Amazing. The apex of Ascian philosophy is the same might-makes-right worldview which that blowhard Sileas from back at the Studium kept going on and on about. Remember him?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everybody who had been raised in Sharlayan, including Alphinaud, nodded their heads remembering how much of a blowhard Sileas was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nobody spoke, though Thancred and G’raha were withholding their chuckling, and Alisaie was catching her breath. She clearly had been contemplating this on her own for a while. Alphinaud had nothing more to add, and he and Ryne seemed to be carefully considering her points.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s make sure we’re all on the same page.” Alisaie began. “All in favor of declaring that Ascians are stupid, raise your hand.” Every hand flew up instantly, though Alphinaud and the Warrior of Light kept theirs half-raised. Alisaie looked at them with a slightly skewed expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And all in favor of loading up on white auracite when we get back to the Source so we can pop any Ascian on sight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The second vote was enthusiastically unanimous.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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